On 30/11/2020

On smart education (part II)

From Students-first to Faculty-first

this post is part of a white-paper

Listening to a voice or understanding the words

Every serious school is somewhere stating that it is student-centered and listening to the student voice. Out of personal experience I know that this slogan may be deeply felt by the school’s administration and faculty, doing whatever possible to listen, while most students have a slightly different feeling. They don’t sense to be the center of educational gravity and don’t feel understood. Unfortunately,listening is not the same as understanding what is said, making the clear and precise definition of a felt center impossible.

Working on corporate culture

While working with a high-end private school, I always drew comparisons with legendary hospitality companies such as the Four Seasons or the Ritz-Carlton. Their notion of experience and provided service to their clients is unquestionably one of the best within their field. Such corporate cultures, when they operate at their peak, always take care of staff first. Any brand or school, to execute its purpose, must first build a shared high moral purpose and values as guiding posts for all employees (ie. administration, admission, faculty), internal and external, and live them daily. Human beings, even in a digital environment, must feel cared for and valued. They must have access to education, continuous learning in critical skills that drive domain expertise (GLEN, 2020), as well as psychological support to better cope with possible change.

Additionally to the faculty, if not more, the school’s administration, admission and service staff must learn, practice, and master the emotional intelligence life skills that promote deep empathy, trustworthiness and generosity. These fluid soft-skills, if honestly practiced by staff first, will undoubtedly drive collaboration and finally allow a real and profound before mentioned “listening = understanding” experience. In consequence, staff, as well as students, may hold each other accountable for treating all involved stakeholders accordingly. Unfortunately without a Staff- and Faculty-first foundation, student-centricity will never be achieved and therefore felt.